Labor Elects Governor, 15 of 23 House Seats in Area

  

Union volunteers getting ready to drive vans on election day.

 An intense effort by Wichita union members may have been the key factor in electing Kathleen Sebelius to be the next Governor of Kansas. Union members were disappointed in the defeat of 4th Congressional District candidate Carlos Nolla, the most pro-labor contender for the US House from Wichita since the defeat of Dan Glickman. In races for the Kansas House, 15 of 23 labor-backed candidates won. In the weeks before the election, nearly 10,000 union households were contacted by phone. On election day, 58 union members volunteered nearly 400 hours in GOTV (Get Out the Vote) efforts. (MORE)

POLL SHOWS UNION MEMBERS VOTED

Thanks to massive corporate spending, Nov. 5 was the most expensive off-year election in history. And although Big Business continued to far outspend working-family advocates—by 12–1 in hard and soft-dollar contributions in this election—the AFL-CIO political program included the most extensive member contacts ever in a mid-term election, according to an election night survey of union members conducted by Peter D. Hart Research for the AFL-CIO. The program emphasizes member-to-member education about where candidates stand on issues important to union members.

In battleground Senate races, 72 percent of union members voted for the Democratic candidate, with similar results in U.S. House races. This margin is consistent with voting trends for union members in 1998 and 2000, according to Hart Research. MORE

KANSAS COPE ENDORSES SEBELIUS, NOLLA

 Delegates from around the state met in Topeka on August 22-23 as the Kansas AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education gathered to consider candidate endorsements for the 2002 elections. 

In the Governor’s race, the delegates endorsed Kathleen Sebelius. In the Fourth Congressional District, challenger Carlos Nolla received the nod after a stirring speech. In the Second Congressional District, Dan Lykins was picked. In the Third District, the convention voted no endorsement. Incumbent Dennis Moore recieved labor backing in his previous two elections, but many have been disappointed in his support for fast-track legislation whch would continue policies that have created a huge trade deficit and the loss of millions of good-paying manufacturing jobs.

        The COPE convetion also endorsed David Haley for Secretary of State, Chris Biggs for Attorney General, Jim Garner for Insurance Commissioner, and Sally Finney for State Treasurer.

        Candidates for the state House of Representatives were also endorsed. The careful process of examining voting records and positions to find pro-labor candidates was in evidence as the delegates endorsed both Democratic and Republican candidates for the state legislature.

Photos from the 2002 KANSAS COPE CONVENTION

click for larger view

Kathleen Sebelius Carlos Nolla Dan Lykins Jim DeHoff Jim Sumner Barb Fuller and Paul Babich

Plumbers Jack Haley Jim Garner Sally Finnery Tim Anderson and Carlos Nolla

Nov. 29 Fed Meeting:

  Sebelius Signs “Right to Organize” Pledge

Sebelius at Demofest August 2001

    Kathleen Sebelius, insurance commissioner and possible candidate for governor, presented a signed “right to organize” pledge to President Mark Love at the November 29 meeting of the Wichita Hutchinson Labor Federation..

  Speaking about the controversy over the election of the Kansas Democratic party chairman in February Sebelius, said “she had learned a lesson and would do things differently.”  She told the delegates that the human services functions of government should never be privatized.  “The rush to privatization in Kansas has been an unmitigated disaster,” she said.

  Tom Sawyer who was re-elected chair of the Kansas Democratic Party with the support of labor told the delegates that “I can’t remember a time Kathleen wasn’t with labor” when they served in the Kansas House. He recalled that one of their first acts in the legislature was on the losing side of a 63-62 vote to repeal Kansas’ prevailing wage law.

  The delegates also heard from union members of the legislature Melanie Barnes, Gwen Welshimer, Judy Loganbill, and Geraldine Flaherty. Unable to attend because of a committee meeting but sending his greetings was Dale Swenson.

Unions Rate Tiahrt

AG Candidate Chris Biggs Visits Fed

  Chris Biggs, candidate for Kansas Attorney General, visited the Wichita/Hutchinson Labor Federation on September 26. Biggs hass been elected to four consecutive terms as Geary County Attorney and has served as Legislative Chair of the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association. 

Not only has Biggs been endorsed by the Kansas AFL-CIO, but he has been a labor background. His mother was one of the first KAPE (Kansas Association of Public Employee) members at Kansas State University.  He is a member of the Musicians Union. He won 3rd Place Awards at the (Walnut ValleyNational Flat-picking Guitar Championships in 1978, 1979, and 1980.

PAINTERS VOLUNTEER FOR NOLLA

(Sept. 18) Painters and Allied Trades District Council #3 members, family, and friends lent a helping hand in support of the Carlos Nolla for Congress campaign.  Volunteers from Glaziers Local Union 558 and Painters and Finishers Local Union 76 painted several large campaign signs for the Nolla campaign. Among those volunteering were Tim Deever, Bob Schulte, Steve Pollock, Tracey Donham, Charlie Cook, and Mike Ramsey. Carlos Nolla, candidate for the US House of Representatives from the Fourth Congressional District is running against Todd Tiahrt. MORE PICTURES

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